ThedaCare tabs Ohio doctor as its next CEO

ThedaCare has named Dr. Imran Andrabi president and CEO. He will succeed Dr. Dean Gruner, who is retiring in June.

The 49-year-old Andrabi comes to ThedaCare from Mercy Health, a non-profit Catholic health care organization serving Ohio and Kentucky. Andrabi has been with the organization for 25 years, beginning as an intern and medical resident, and eventually becoming regional president and CEO of the Toledo region in 2015.

Andrabi received his medical degree from King Edward Medical College in Lahore, Pakistan. He also teaches at the Medical College of Ohio and the Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Andrabi says ThedaCare's reputation drew him to the company.

“When I think of best-in-class healthcare, ThedaCare is one that I have admired over the years,” Andrabi said in a news release. “So when the opportunity arose, I had to explore it, because of my admiration for the work the people at ThedaCare have been doing for a long time."

“When I visited locations within ThedaCare, I found everyone to be extremely open and welcoming, which says a lot about the culture. They were willing to share their perspectives, successes and challenges. That openness is really what helped make a difficult decision—to leave Mercy, where I have been for so long—feel like the right one.”

ThedaCare's board of trustees says it is looking to Andrabi to lead the organization into the next generation of health care.

“Those who met Dr. Andrabi during the interview process were impressed by his experience and how he focused on improving the health of local community members,” John Davis, president of the ThedaCare Board of Trustees, said in a news release. “In addition, they saw his sincere interest and interactions with our team as he toured our facilities. That is important to us — a leader who is personally connected to our team and to customers and their families.”

ThedaCare has about 6,700 employees working in seven hospitals and 32 clinics across nine Northeast Wisconsin counties. It has also been considering closing its Appleton and Neenah hospitals and building a new hospital somewhere in the Fox Valley.